Michael Anton (aka Publius Decius Mus) performs a fisking of Bret Stephens’ paean to untrammeled immigration. It goes without saying Bret doesn’t come off very well. Can you imagine Stephens used to be considered conservative? It’s a long article and I doubt Bret even deserves the honor of this much attention but Mr. Anton does cover the bases very thoroughly. I would say this article is preaching to the choir but if you are interested in just how crazy the house conservatives at the New York Times have become check out Anton’s dissection of exhibit A.

I just finished watching the entire speech. I can’t remember the last time I heard an American president speak as honestly and effectively about the world we live in. Trump blasted North Korea, Iran, Syria, Cuba and Venezuela. He even threw a jab at the Ukrainian aggression and the South China Sea posturing. He talked about sovereignty and the right of each country to differ from the cookie cutter requirements of our Globalist Oligarchs. He talked about the United States’ history in the UN and the sacrifices it has made to aid its neighbors and he also said that he is not going to let the United States be the fall guy any longer. Not in trade agreements, not in refugee resettlement, and not in UN finances.

It was a magnificent speech. And of course, it was Donald Trump giving it so there was plenty of self-congratulation. He started off by announcing that employment and the stock market were both at historic highs and that business was returning to the US in dramatic fashion. He even took an indirect dig at Obama saying that the Iran deal was a disaster. It was a lot of fun.

Of course, a UN address is a show piece with no actual effect. But what it does is set the tone for an American administration’s relationship with the world. So, when Obama went on his apology tour and bowed to every dictator in the Middle East it set the stage for the Arab Spring and the disaster that hatched. It let the Iranians know that they could ask for and get whatever they wanted. Alternatively, when Trump says that a nuclear North Korea that attacks the US or its allies will be totally destroyed this sends a powerful message to the North Koreans and the Chinese. It also sends a different message to the Japanese and the other allies in the area.

And when President Trump forcefully stated that the welfare of the American people, and the middle-class especially, was his first priority that makes a big impression on the voters. And on the Congress, that is always thinking toward the next election. And on big business that gauges a president’s intentions before they commit on strategic business and financial plans.

So even though the speech is just a statement it was exactly the right statement for President Trump to make. It had the right tone and it hit all the right points, globally and domestically. Trump is no Reagan. He is not a great orator. His speaking style is workmanlike and methodical. He reminds me of the executive in front of the board of directors. Maybe that makes it even more effective. It wasn’t just rhetoric. There was a message and he even expressed that message explicitly. He said “America first.” For that I was truly proud of him. He didn’t sell us out to make nice with the globalists. Good for you Mr. President.

If you haven’t listened to it and you have the time and the inclination, listen to the whole thing. It’s about 45 minutes long. If you don’t have the time or interest, there are some excerpts. Even that will give you a flavor of what was said. Bottom line, Trump did himself and our country some good today.